Education requires endurance and perseverance to bear fruit.  One must pass several tests to succeed.  The education process, therefore, stretches like a long and winding road to its destination.   

A human needs education because he or she will go through tribulations that require wisdom, knowledge and competencies.  Like it or not, those virtues are actually gained from education.   

“Education” here does not only mean formal learning in schools and universities but also any form of enlightenment that graces your mind in this life, from infancy to adulthood.  Due to the eclectic configuration of education, several nations, including Indonesia, decided to develop a minimum standard in education services. 

On Dec. 14, 2018, without much fanfare, the education and culture minister issued Regulation No. 32/2018 on the technical standards of minimum education services.  Unfortunately, the regulation has failed to live up to the expectations of many education stakeholders in the country.   

It is true that the new rule amends the old regulations, such as Education and Culture Ministerial Regulation No. 23/2013 and No. 15/2010, but they are all the same in setting low targets. 

For instance, the rule does not depart from the previous regulation’s approach of focusing on the inputs of education. It shies away from the important aspects of education: process and outputs. 

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